Packaging assembly

ABSTRACT

A packaging assembly ( 1 ) having an enclosure ( 3 ) to receive carton blanks ( 4 ). A first arm ( 5 ) has means ( 6 ) to grip a carton blank. The first arm being operable to move the blank from a pick up position at the enclosure to a delivery position. Means ( 6 ) forms the blank into a carton ( 10 ) adjacent the delivery position. The carton has a base and side walls extending upwardly from the base to an open end spaced from the base. Means ( 20 ) moves the carton in a loading direction (A). Means ( 20 ) moves a plurality of product ( 26 ) to be packaged in the loading direction. A second arm ( 30 ) has means ( 32 ) to grip the product from the product moving means and deliver the product through the open end into the carton. The loading direction has a first component (a) at an angle to a perpendicular axis to a surface upon which the assembly rests and a second component (β) at an angle to a normal axis to the surface upon which the assembly rests, so that in use the carton is loaded from a lower most edge corner to an opposite diagonal higher most corner with respect to the perpendicular and normal axes.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a packaging assembly and in particular to an automated case/tray packaging assembly to handle both horizontal and vertical packaging of product in a confined space.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Most products sold throughout the world are packaged prior to transport and sale. Many products are packaged in cartons, pouches, trays or the like before product distribution. To make that packaging, a carton blank is fed into a packaging machine by an operator. The carton blank is erected into the desired carton shape ready for transferral to a loading station. At the loading station, an operator or a robot places product into the carton in a specific packaging layout. Typically, the carton is level on a horizontal surface and loaded from above. That is, vertical loading along the Y axis. Vertical packaging machines require dedicated product accumulation.

These existing types of packaging/loading machines create substantial product accumulation waiting to be packed, are slow, costly and labour intensive. Typically, existing packaging/loading machines have a large footprint in a factory area and are not easily adaptable to changing requirements of customers, products, carton and product shapes and sizes. Existing machines are also typically single pick and place units packing products into a horizontal carton individually. Flat packaging machines without vision require pre-layer assembly before picking. Flat packaging machines with vision require valuable floor space for separate carton erection. Further, existing packaging/loading machines typically operate only in a single direction.

There is a need to increase packaging accuracy, increase packing speed, pack product of any shape and the ability to pack complex configurations.

Object of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to substantially overcome or at least ameliorate one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to at least provide a useful alternative.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

There is firstly disclosed herein a packaging assembly having:

-   -   an enclosure to receive carton blanks;     -   a first arm having means to grip a carton blank, said first arm         being operable to move said blank from a pick up position at         said enclosure to a delivery position;     -   means to form said blank into a carton adjacent said delivery         position, said carton having a base and side walls extending         upwardly from said base to an open end spaced from said base;     -   means to move said carton in a loading direction;     -   means to move a plurality of product to be packaged in said         loading direction;     -   a second arm having means to grip said product from said product         moving means and delivering said product through said open end         into said carton; and wherein     -   said loading direction has a first component at an angle to a         perpendicular axis to a surface upon which said assembly rests         and a second component at an angle to a normal axis to said         surface upon which said assembly rests, so that in use said         carton is loaded from a lower most edge corner to an opposite         diagonal higher most corner with respect to said perpendicular         and normal axes.

Preferably, said forming means folds said carton blank into a carton at an angle.

Preferably, said carton and product moving means include one or more conveyors.

Preferably, said carton moving conveyor is located substantially parallel to said product moving conveyor.

Preferably, said first and second arms are robotic arms.

Preferably, a portion of said carton moving conveyor is inclined parallel to said loading direction.

Preferably, a portion of said product moving conveyor is inclined parallel to said loading direction.

Preferably, including a frame to support said second arm, so that in use said second arm is operable to load said product into said carton perpendicular to said loading direction.

Preferably, including a frame to support said assembly on said surface.

Preferably, said loading direction can be reversed.

Preferably, including means to apply an adhesive to said base to secure said base together.

Preferably, said angles are between 0 and 45 degrees to an X and Y axis with respect to said surface.

Preferably, said carton can be oriented so said open end is parallel to said carton moving conveyor or said open end is perpendicular to said carton moving conveyor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of an example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a packaging assembly of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of an embodiment of a gripping assembly; and

FIG. 5 is an end view of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

There is schematically depicted herein a packaging assembly 1 having an enclosure 3 to receive one or more carton blanks 4. A first arm 5 includes means 6 to grip a carton blank 4. The first arm 5 being operable to move one or more blanks 4 from a pick-up position at or near the enclosure 3 to a delivery position. The gripping means 6 can include a vacuum, single or multiple axis robot or the like. Means 20 forms the blank 4 into a carton 10 adjacent the delivery position. The carton 10 includes a base 11 and side walls 12 extending upwardly from the base 11 to an open end 13 spaced from the base 11. For example, the means 20 folds the cartons 10 by vacuum, pneumatic cylinders and/or servo control motors. The cartons 10 could for example include RSC cartons, trays, crash-lock cartons or the like. Means 20 moves the carton 10 in a carton loading direction A. There is also a means 25 to move a plurality of product 26 to be packaged in a product loading direction A. The carton and product loading directions A may be the same or different depending upon assembly 1 set up and floor space available. The product 26 could be for example potato chips, cereals or the like. A second arm 30 has means 32 to grip product 26 from the product moving means 25 and delivering the product 26 through the open end 13 into the carton 10. As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, in a preferred form, the carton and product loading directions A have a first component at an angle a to a perpendicular axis Y to a surface 100 upon which the assembly 1 rests. There is also included a second component at an angle β to a normal axis X to the surface 100. In use, these components α,β ensure that the carton 10 is oriented at an angle so that the product 26 is easily loaded from one lower most edge corner 50 to an opposite diagonal higher most corner (not shown) with respect to the perpendicular and normal axes X, Y. It should however be noted that in other embodiments the product conveyor 25 could be substantially horizontal or “flat” to assist with picking of product 26.

In the preferred form, the carton 10 and product moving means 20, 25 include one or more conveyors, belts or the like. The carton moving conveyor 20 is preferably located substantially parallel to the product moving conveyor 25 as best seen in FIG. 3. In the preferred form, the first and second arms 5, 30 are robotic arms. For example, a two axis robot like an Adept Quattro™ parallel robot or the like. A portion 40 of the carton moving conveyor 20, as best seen in FIG. 2, is inclined parallel to the loading direction A. In the preferred form, a portion of the product moving conveyor 25 is also inclined parallel to the loading direction A. The assembly 1 further includes a frame 60 to support the second arm 30 so that in use the second arm 30 is operable to load the product 26 into said carton 10 perpendicular to the loading direction A. The assembly 1 further includes a frame 70 to support the assembly 1 on the surface 100. The carton folding means 20 can also include means (not shown) to apply an adhesive or the like to the base 11 to secure the base 11 together. The fold of the carton 10 is being done by vacuum, pneumatic cylinders and/or servo motors. In the preferred form, the angles α and β range between 0 and 45 degrees to the X and Y axes.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, there is shown the addition of a pivoting gripper assembly 200. The assembly 200 is attached to the second arm/or robot 30 to permit product 26 to be presented on a flat conveyor 25 whilst still allowing an angular packing ability. The assembly 200 includes a ball joint or the like 205, positioned in the centre of a mounting plate 240 by means of an extension bar 250, with a pivoting point 217 positioned towards the outer diameter of the plate or disk 240. Additional pivoting point 216 is positioned towards the outer diameter of the gripping plate 215. The gripping plate 215 is secured to the ball joint 205. The gripping plate 215 is pivoted around the centre point 210 by means of a pneumatic or servo driven actuator 230 or the like.

The present invention, at least in a preferred embodiment, provides a small packing assembly 1 with flexibility to handle both flat and vertical packing. The cartons 10 are folded and packaged at an angle having an X and Y component. The second arm 30 being able to pack products 26 into the carton 10 either vertically or horizontally with respect to the carton 10 and the type of gripping means 32 being used. That is, the end 13 would either be parallel or perpendicular to the carton conveying means 20. Advantageously, by filling the carton 10 with products 26 while the carton 10 is on an angle having a component in an X and a component in the Y axes allows the carton 10 to be filled from the lowest most point to the highest most point as the carton 10 is travelling through the assembly 1 past the second arm 30. This provides significant speed advantages and efficiencies. Advantageously, the present invention, at least in a preferred embodiment, provides a highly flexible single assembly 1 to handle case/tray erection, horizontal and vertical packing without limited product accumulation. The assembly 1 provides a small footprint to a maximum width of about 2 metres. The assembly 1 will also accommodate customers changing requirements as it is easily adaptable as the products 26 are being loaded from the lowest X, Y corner 50. The corner 50 becomes a natural support for products 26 building up from this spot allows the assembly 1 to handle horizontal and vertical packaging without loosing location or speed. The assembly 1 is suitable for any typical packaged or non-packaged product 26 that can be picked up by a robot 5, 30 and placed in a carton 10. In the preferred embodiment, and as best seen in the drawings, the cartons 10, product and carton conveyors 20, 25 and the second robotic arm 30 are all tilted at the same angle having the same X, Y components. This provides essentially perpendicular packing. The products 26 can be loaded in either direction.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms. 

1. A packaging assembly having: an enclosure to receive carton blanks; a first arm having means to grip a carton blank, said first arm being operable to move said blank from a pick up position at said enclosure to a delivery position; means to form said blank into a carton adjacent said delivery position, said carton having a base and side walls extending upwardly from said base to an open end spaced from said base; means to move said carton in a loading direction; means to move a plurality of product to be packaged in said loading direction; a second arm having means to grip said product from said product moving means and delivering said product through said open end into said carton; and wherein said loading direction has a first component at an angle to a perpendicular axis to a surface upon which said assembly rests and a second component at an angle to a normal axis to said surface upon which said assembly rests, so that in use said carton is loaded from a lower most edge corner to an opposite diagonal higher most corner with respect to said perpendicular and normal axes.
 2. The packaging assembly according to claim 1, wherein said forming means folds said carton blank into a carton at an angle.
 3. The packaging assembly according to claim 1, wherein said carton and product moving means include one or more conveyors.
 4. The packaging assembly according to claim 3, wherein said carton moving conveyor is located substantially parallel to said product moving conveyor.
 5. The packaging assembly according to claim 1, wherein said first and second arms are robotic arms.
 6. The packaging assembly according to claim 3, wherein a portion of said carton moving conveyor is inclined parallel to said loading direction.
 7. The packaging assembly according to claim 3, wherein a portion of said product moving conveyor is inclined parallel to said loading direction.
 8. The packaging assembly according to claim 1, including a frame to support said second arm, so that in use said second arm is operable to load said product into said carton perpendicular to said loading direction.
 9. The packaging assembly according to claim 1, including a frame to support said assembly on said surface.
 10. The packaging assembly according to claim 1, wherein said loading direction can be reversed.
 11. The packaging assembly according to claim 1, including means to apply an adhesive to said base to secure said base together.
 12. The packaging assembly according to claim 1, wherein said angles are between 0 and 45 degrees to an X and Y axis with respect to said surface.
 13. The packaging assembly according to claim 3, wherein said carton can be oriented so said open end is parallel to said carton moving conveyor or said open end is perpendicular to said carton moving conveyor. 